What to Eat at Global Village

Gate of the World, by P1 parking.

Hit this first, gets chaotic later. Spicy, be warned.

• 10/10 for grilled baby octopus** with coriander lime dip from Zaab Zaab; can convert even those with tentacle phobia.
• Thai grilled mussels with lemon-basil/tom-yum sauce. 70% hit, 30% miss, but attempt you must.
• Korean Teokbokki. Chewy rice and fish cakes in a huggable tomato sauce. Two stalls, aim for the one at the furthest end if you like it fresh and OG spicy.

Close to the floating market, outside Yemen/Bahrain pavilions.

• Mochi ice cream as palate cleanser. Matcha sold out? Coconut and mango are close runners up.

Retrace steps towards the floating market, past the Gate of the World for:

• Bun kebabs. Chicken, chana daal and an overdose of garam masala smacked between soft buns. Chutneys: chilli tamarind, raita, ketchup.
• Claypot chai,** revive yourself before conquering the other pavilions.

• Most picturesque pavilion with artisanal sweets made fresh. Sneak in samples of crispy kaak rolled in tahini, sesame and honey. Also freshly spun buttery pistachio brittle, aka sohan.
• Next door to the sohan, shop 63 churns fresh nut butters. Tell Ramin I sent you to taste the pistachio butter. Dare you to leave without buying.

Outside Iran, stall with Arabic-only sign. An impromptu sweet discovery.

• Sample the version with brown sugar and cashews**, maybe snag a small bowl with a side of Arabic coffee (gahwa).

• 1st stall to the right as you enter, Za’atar Jabali**—wild mountain za’atar that Palestinians are banned from picking due to an inane Israeli law. Grilled olives, olive oil, chilli sauce, preserved Nabulsi cheese and other pantry treasures. Went in to support a cause, and totally fell in love. This isn’t about sympathy, those ingredients are genuinely irresistible even in a political void.
• PS. Other stalls are good too, but the Gazan salesman at the entrance just stole the show.

All things viral, rainbow burgers and over-sauced beauties for the ‘gram. Throw happiness to the winds and skip.

Train compartments dressed up as sweet shops, inspired by Thailand’s Umbrella Market. More of Tik Tok type foods, but worth sampling Tunisian doughnuts, bambaloni. Grab sweet, hot, sneaky samples and run; no commitment necessary.

• Takoyaki, custardy spheres of octopus shaped with skewers in a cast iron pan, a mesmerizing process. Request restraint on toppings. Tasty only when piping hot. Chicken and shrimp options available.
• Hard pass on the mini cheesecakes. Eggy, no jiggle, anti-climactic.

Tiny Sudanese stall, past Thailand (return later for dessert), main stage, all the way near Cultural Gate and horse fountains.

• Agashe**, thin strips of lamb caked in a spicy peanut mix, served with white tahini and green chili sauce. Wickedly hot, with an option to axe the extra spicy powder on top.
• Suya** (shay-ya), described by a VIP member as the best little nubs of lamb chops. Comes with addictive fries and pita. Juicier than agashe, but latter wins on flavour in my books.

Harraq osboa stall in the center. Dumplings in brown lentils bubbled with tamarind and pomegranate molasses. Fried onions, crisp pita, pomegranate seeds on top. Free samples. But the vendor is so kind, not investing in a bowl feels cruel.

End with soft-serve mango ice cream and fresh chunks of mango. Crowd pleaser.